Pedophile vigilantes assault man over Grafton child stalk

A 39-YEAR-OLD man approached a 12-year-old girl while she waited for the bus, and later that day was set upon by vigilante "pedo hunters".

A man has been jailed after a child approach in Grafton earlier this year.

A GRAFTON man who approached a 12-year-old girl while she was waiting for the bus for school and produced a condom has been jailed.

Robert John Gosling, 39, faced Grafton Local Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to charges of stalk/intimidate cause fear of physical or mental harm, common assault and committing an act of indecency.

According to police facts, on the morning of February 12 the victim was waiting at a bus stop in South Grafton when Gosling approached the girl and asked her if she was going to school.

Gosling then introduced himself and grabbed the victim's hand to shake it, and said the girl had soft hands.

Gosling then walked away before he returned and committed the indecent act when he pulled a condom out of his pocket.

The victim told the man to go away and left the bus stop and hailed down a passing motorist. The motorist stopped and helped the girl as Gosling left the scene.

The motorist followed Gosling to a hotel where he was staying at the time and confronted him, and Gosling said he didn't do anything, and "just tried to give her a condom I found on the road".

Just before 2pm that afternoon the proprietor of the hotel called Grafton Police to report that Gosling had been assaulted by a group of men.

One of the men was wearing a pedophile vigilante t-shirt.

Police spoke to witnesses and then Gosling, who claimed that he had a lolly wrapper when he approached the victim and denied giving her anything.

Gosling was arrested and taken to Grafton Police Station where he continued to deny having a condom.

In court, Magistrate Karen Stafford sentenced Gosling to a 12-month jail term, with a non-parole period of eight months.

Originally published as Pedophile vigilantes assault man over Grafton child stalk